Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country made the most of their second night at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville on Saturday with an all-star Christmas celebration for the history books.
After the previous night turned into a full-on Bob Dylan tribute with a host of special guests to help push the show into the stratosphere, night two may have had less of a theme, but there was no lack of fun. Between his own stellar talents and those of his seasoned sidemen—Will “Mustang” McGee on bass and vocals, Nathan “Sugar Legg” Aronowitz on keyboards and vocals, and Will “Bronco” Clark on drums—Cosmic Country brought plenty of firepower, but for this special weekend of Christmas cheer, Donato whistled up some help to put things over the top.
A whole new crop of special guests from every corner of the live music scene came out to support the rising star in his holiday efforts. From Widespread Panic drummer Duane Trucks, Travelin’ McCourys mandolin master Ronnie McCoury, and country harmonica maestro Mickey Raphael to Brazilbilly’s Jesse Lee Jones and fellow Nashville transplants Maggie Rose and Tim McDonald, the stage was flooded with talent. Adding even more depth, Donato’s fresh-faced contemporaries Willow Osbourne and Quinn Sullivan dazzled on banjo and guitar, respectively, while five-time Grammy-winning keyboardist Peter Levin and Nashville veteran percussionist Jon Radford brought their many years of experience to bear. With such an eclectic all-star lineup, each song was a distinct but equally enjoyable ride.
Whether Donato and his cohort were doing his own tunes like show openers “Half Moon Night”, “Blame the Train”, and “Gotta Get Southbound”, covers from legends such as Elvis Presley (“Suspicious Minds”), The Allman Brothers Band (Southbound”, “Whipping Post”), Merle Haggard (“Workin’ Man Blues“), Django Reinhardt (“Minor Swing”), and the Grateful Dead (“Loser”), or old traditionals like ”Reuben’s Train” and “Hangman’s Reel”, each moment was an adventure.
By the end of the action-packed second set and electrifying “Dance in the Desert” encore, Donato and each of his special guests had ample opportunity to captivate the audience with their unique talents, closing out the country Christmas celebration in truly cosmic fashion.
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Donato will return to the road in February for a run of winter tour dates. For tickets, head here or try the secondary market. Visit his website for more information.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country – “Half Moon Night”, “Blame the Train” – 12/14/24
Setlist [via Daniel Base]: Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country | Brooklyn Bowl Nashville | Nashville, TN | 12/14/24
Set One: Half Moon Night, Blame the Train, Gotta Get Southbound, Reuben’s Train (FTP) (1), Minor Swing (Django Reinhardt) (FTP) (2), Dark Hollow (Bill Browning and His Echo Valley Boys) (1), Drivin’ Nails in My Coffin (Ernest Tubb) (3), I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys) (3), Long Lonesome Road (C.W. McCall) (FTP) (3) (4), Foggy Mountain Top (Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and The Foggy Mountain Boys) (FTP) (3) (5), Loser (Grateful Dead) (FTP) (3) (4) (6), Broadside Ballad (6), Hangman’s Reel (6)
Set Two: Workin’ Man Blues (Merle Haggard) (5), Truck Drivin’ Man (Buck Owens) (5), Doggone Cowboy (Marty Robbins) (5) (7) (8), Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley) (FTP) (5) (7) (8), Big Iron (Marty Robbins) (5) (7) (8), Southbound (The Allman Brothers Band) (8) (9), Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn) (FTP) (8) (9) (10), Snake Farm (Ray Wylie Hubbard) (FTP) (8) (9), Luck of the Draw (6) (8), Sugar Leg Rag (6) (8), Whipping Post (The Allman Brothers Band) (8) (11) (12) (13), Dance in the Desert (6) (8)
Annotations
[1] Willow Osbourne On Vocals And Banjo (Song)
[2] Willow Osbourne On Banjo (Song)
[3] Mickey Raphael On Harmonica (Song)
[4] Ronnie McCoury On Vocals And Mandolin (Song)
[5] Ronnie McCoury On Mandolin (Song)
[6] Duane Trucks On Drums (Song)
[7] Jesse Lee Jones On Vocals And Guitar (Song)
[8] Jon Radford On Percussion (Song)
[9] Tim McDonald On Vocals And Keys (Song)
[10] Reggae Rendition (Song)
[11] Maggie Rose On Vocals (Song)
[12] Quinn Sullivan On Guitar (Song)
[13] Peter Levin On Keys (Song)
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